Heading home

Well my three weeks has passed pretty fast... not as fast as the time i
spend sitting at a desk, but i can hardly believe it is over. In some ways i
feel like i have been away forever. Though my trip has been great i an
mellow and happy about coming home.
I was planning on going to a museum today before heading to the airport, but
i am feeling lazy about it right now... the idea of busing down town in the
loud CAR-EXAUST filled heat is not on the top of my list right now.
Yesterday i few to quayaquil from Quito, as i decided to spend a few extra
days there, doing some hikes and taking over night trips.

On thursday a group of 8 of us from the hostal hired a mini school bus to go
to the equator. there is a big french monument but they put it inth wrong
place... which is pretty funny! Beside it is a smaller museum that is in
the correct place and has some nifty demonstrations of the quirks found at
the equator. such as water going strait down the drain one the actual line,
and clock wise and counter clock wise at either side. I remember learning
that water went the other way down the drain on the other side of the world
when i was small, and always trying to convince the water to swirl in the
other direction when the tub drained...

Friday i Climbed Pichincha, an sleeping but active volcano with a group from
the hostal. It was amazing. petrifying at times due to my fear of hights but
well worth the nerves and the tiredness of 4800 meters... the air is
definately thinner up there!!! that pertty much ate up friday and i was
happily sleeping shortly after i finished my super and a glass of wine.

I attended the �mamma Negra�festival in Latacunga on saturday, a huge
catholic-pagan fusion. Parades with people carrying crucified roasted pigs
and other animals on there back with alcohol food and cigarettes hanging
pendulously from them... miniature ones for the little boys.
I was supposed to go with sheila the dutch woman that i met in Puerto lopez
and kirsten from australia that i met in Montanita, but they were too hung
over to go, so i went with Christian, a german guy from my hostal that i had
met on a number of my day excursions. I was actually kind of glad that the
girls didn�t go because i am pretty sure they would have wanted to tie one
on, and I think that would have been unwise.. and one sober blonde girl
baby-sitting two drunk blonde girls in small town boozing festival would
have been impossible. i think i would have had to abandon them to their
fates... Sunday morning there were more drunken pig carrying parades that
ended in a catholic mass... Go figure.

Sunday afternoon i got back to the hostal on the bus from Latacunga. I rode
back with a brit couple i met at the hostal, and provided gringa (white
girl) entertainment to a couple of little kids who stared at me between the
bus seats for most of the 2 hour ride until about 5 minuts from their stop
when the older boy (8?) got up the nerve to talk to me. We had a short, and
basic conversation in spanish that i think put him a few rungs up the ladder
with his friends for shear bravery... funny.

When i got back to the hostal it started raining and everyone was coming
�home� with stories that made you think there was a full moon, so i stayed
in and chatted with people and had some dinner before an early night. The
Type-A swede that lost her passport returned to the hostal sunday, and
being a sucker i invited her to join me to the natural history museum in the
morning... Now who is a big old kook!

MOnday morning we met up at breakfast to head out and thankfully another
girl, a brit named jenny decided to join us... The museum was abitof a joke,
but they had original fossils on display, and a decent though not astounding
insect collection. The fossils were not casts and they were not behind
glass, and i think i pissed off the swede by telling her she shouldn�t be
touching them with her hands... she replyed that the place was second rate
anyway so she didn�t see why it mattered... nice!

when we finished at the museum there was a botanical garden next door that i
wante to go to but the other girls decided that the 2 dollar cover was to
much money after spending the same on the museum... AT first i was going to
offer to pay there way but realised that a few minute of solitude were
really what i wanted from her complaining, so i said i would meet them
outside the gates when i was finished. The Gardens were amazing, there were
2 orchid houses and many quiet paths to walk along. a cute little juice bar
supplied me with black berry juice which i enjoyed sitting by the pond. it
was great.

I was there for over an hour i think. Then i met back up with happy jenny
and type-A-Swede, and we went for lunch. went to this place that had amazing
icecream! but before that i enjoyed some more ceviche, and a guayabana
juice... good stuff!

The swede still m,anaged to complain that she had no appetite, and proceded
to not have enough money to pay for her lunch anyway.

sorry. now i am the one complaining...

okay one more... we hopped a cab back to the hostal, as jenny had a spanish
class, and Type-A-Swede wanted to stop at one particular internet cafe, as "
it is the cheapest and best" however she did not know where it was and could
not explain it to the cabby... then she was mad that the cab just ignored
her request for a stop mid way and took us back to the hostal... i was glad,
as i think here detiour would have doubled the cost of the cab, and was
really rather petulant...

When i got back to the hostal i confirmed my flights, and looked arround for
someone to join me to go up to the panacillo, a hill with a huge mary statue
on it with a snake tied to her leg... yup!
Ended up going with Sam a guy from belfast that has been riding his motor
bike arround the world for the past 11 months... he road through india,
pakistan, iran, ausralia, the US and europe. he is on his way south and will
then have his bike shipped to africa and ride north towards home. Cool guy.
rather crazy, but pretty cool. The view from the statue was pretty great
and the vandalism inside the statue was hillarious!!! for example: "Jorge +
Maria forever! give me a son!" crazy!

when we got back i hopped in a cab to the airport and was in Quayaquil
within an hour of leaving my hostal! short flight, great last minute
tickets, so much easier than 2 days on the bus!!!

Any who that is my past few days. i will fill you in on the rest live!

And when i have a better connection i will start putting up pictures...

Love yahs

Erin

Journey to the middle of the world.

After many wonderful days in the forest, I am back exploring the city...
I am going to the "mitad du mondo" or middle of the world equator monument
this morning with group from the hostal. Had agreat conversation with a
couple from the hostal in french this morning so at least i have not last
that language... the spanish is also getting much better as well.
halleluyah!

After the equator i will go to the natural history museum to see the huge
insect exhibit and then will meet up with Dutch sheila for dinner and
music...

Love yahs

E

back to quito!

sorry for the silence! bella vista was out of phone and email range!
Had a great time... lots of bugs, great people, great hiking...
Have to run so i am not out in he streets at night but will give you some
details tomorrow.

Here is all i will say now...

FOOT LONG EARTH WORMS!!!

tiny piece of freedom in the market...

The market so far has been very awe inspiring, people are percistant but
less pushy than the city counter parts... yay for barter and textiles...
I just accomplished one of my goals for this trip... I just traded my old
engagement ring for some locally made silver jewlery... I have never known
what to do with my old rings from then, and it occured to me that thsi would
be the perect place to send them back into the universe... keeping them
makes no sense and they are worth almost nothing in a pawn at home... so now
i have a spondylus and serpentine silver necklaces... felt great... jewlery
for jewlery amke sthemost sense... Took a picture even with the woman i
traded with... she seemed quite pleased with the trade, though possibly
puzzled...
It is hard not to stay and extra day in otovalo, but i don�t think i can
afford it!!!!
Much love and happy thoughts!

Erin

swing of things in otavalo...

well me an the swede enjoyed a nice dinner of �mexican food� i had great
veggie nachos with eggplant and beens and avacados, and she a great
quesadilla with many veggies in it. I think she is feeling more at ease to
be out of the city and distracted from last weeks happenings...

Our hotel is absolutely the cutest thing ever with a cobble stone courtyard
in the middle of the place. we have a little room with 2 single beds and a
view of the court yard, that has many trees and hamocks and is very quiet.
my lonely planet tour book was just right on this place!

We did some early bargaining in the market this evening... it is very hard
to practice restraint went surrounded by in expensive but beautiful
textiles... sigh--- I am all a twitter for tomorrow when all the stalls are
open,,, i am even finding that i am getting better at bartering!

I think we will go get some hot chocolate and go and listen to some music
before heading to bed.

We will stay in otavalo until tomorrow and then hop on the bus back to Quito
so we will be intown before the dreaded darkness decends... then 1st thing
in the morning the cloud forest van will pick me up and will finally get to
see some big bugs!!!!!

Any who, love yah! hope all with you is well... feel free to write or
comment with news... feeling a bit out of the loop!

Cheers!

Erin

Off to the Market!

Last night in Quito was rather tranquil. ha a nice supper of stuff eggplant
etc etc...
DAD: dessert of (pine)apple cumble might be the only way you would ever
enjoy that particular fruit.

It was very good.

Sat by a woman from Sweden who had her passport, her credit card AND her $
stolen from her bag on the bus the 1st week she was here. Not sure why she
would not keep it on her person at all times, but who knows? she was suposed
to be here for 5 months traveling in all of S am. but her temp passport is
only good for 7 months which will not allow you to enter many countries
here. I suggested that she just travel in the other countries until her pass
port would not let her, and then just stay in her destination country for
the last few months... she does not seem very flexible. she says she is here
for mountains and any thing else is un interesting... she likes her food a
certain way (does not like S am food at all!) she only eats green grapes as
she does not like red ones, and she does not liek fruit mixed with food...
We have lots in common! HA!

despite this disconnect, I ran into her this morning and she was seeming
down and unsure of what to do with herself, and I have invited her to join
me in Otavalo for the market tomorrow. It is only one day and i can{t
imagine how she is feeling, so We{ll see how it goes. she can eat bread and
milk if she wants but i want to eat all the local (safe) food i can get my
hands on... It will be good to have company on the bus, and perhaps I can
help her loosen up a bit... crazy swedes!

The weather is nice and sunny for now, which is a great change! I didn{t
mind the cloud, but the sun feels very good. gotta be careful not to burn
though.

I don�t think i have much else to report but i will touch base later...

Love

Erin

Arrived in Quito

Hola everyone...
I have arrived in Quito, at my lovely little hostal in the historical part
of town... the place is very relaxed, lean and funky... the upper terrace
had beetles playing and I will be here tonight, then in otavalo for 1 night
and then here and then to the cloud forests of Bella Vista for 3 (maybe 4
days). This trip is reallt taking on steam... Ia m about 1/2 done already!!!
CRAZY!!!!!
The bus from Puerto lopez was all right, they put my bags right on the bus
with me which feels less precarious, and at the stop midway the drivers
helper watched my stuff while i went for a bathroom break... cost me a coke!
(50cents for a white girl). he was very helpful until his chochy friend got
on the bus, and then he got very macho... CAN NOT STAND THAT!!!! I wasgoing
to get him to change a 20 for me but he told me my money was fake--- he
seemed surprised that i wanted my "fake"mony back.. HA! the lady next to me
said it was real... Funnee! (sort of).
Then i hopped of the bus in busy manta feeling like i needed to be in a rush
to the airport... only an hour until my flight left and i had not bought a
ticket yet... after a calm ( for here) taxui ride i was at the airport quite
quickly where i bought my ticket and had my bag zip tied shut in every way
possible by the ticket people--- I appreciated this. though it does make one
nervous that one will never see one�s bag again... though i am only carrying
clothes in my bag if i can�t see it all the time. i can{t say i will be
heart broken if i lose a few shirts...
I think i did loose a sarong and a pare of socks on my last trip... weird.
When i got here to the city i hopped in a cab, and bartered a fare to the
hostal... bu the cab broke down 172 way there so i only gave him 2 dollars.
hopped in another and after some discussion of my map, he got me to my
destination. only 2 dollars more... so my cab fare that started at 6
dollars, was bartered to 5, only cost me 4. not bad!
So far the altitude is not too bad, i'm a bit lite headed so i will only go
to the bank and back to the hostal in the next little bit and then enjoy my
book for the rest of the evening... this evenings dinner at the hostal, is
hummus and pitas, stuffed eggplant, and pineapple crumble... sounds nice and
i am tired so i will keep it simple today.
Much love!
Erin

leaving puerto lopez

hello all.

I am just leaving puerto lopez on the bus to Manta to catch theplane to Quito... yay--- not going to spend 2 full days on a sweaty bus!

I have reallyloved it here but am looking forward to the next stops on the journey... my next hostal looks pretty cool and tomorrow i will do some site seeing in quito and then head to Otavalo for the market town and some hiking... assuming that the altitude agrees with me.

love now!

details later!

Erin

hiking and swimming...

Today i took the bus out to machalilla national park, and headed out on a
hike to the coast. the hike in was about 3 hours but this was with many
stops for beach combing and sight seeing... i was able to stop at 3 beaches
each bigger than the next and collected many shells and interesting bits of
shells. i may need another bag to get them all home.

The last beach �los frailes�was a long gently curving beach with very fine
sand. i met the dutch/ecuadorian couple that i met whale watching , and
sheila and i had a really nice swim. it felt especially god after the long
hike through the dry coastal forest. i was pretty sweaty and dirty. it was
nice to have a swim buddy as i really don�t feel comfortble going very far
in by myself... oceans still give m e the willies--- and not the free kind.

The weather is remaining overcast, but that is making things easier for ths
white girl to get a tan with out getting a burn. it also means that it is
not nearly as hot, as the ocean breaze makes it pertty much perfect.

I have decided to stay in puerto lopez for an extra day and then take a
plane from manta ( 2 hrs from here) to quito- the trip is otherwise 13hrs
onthe bus, and it is not recommended for gringas like me afterdark. so will
mean about 2 days on the bus if i stop midway. other times of year this
might be scenic, but as it is so cloudy i will not be able to see the
mountains, so will basically be stuck in crowded buses looking at bus
stations and street vedors... something i have already spent a few hours
doing and will still be able to enjoy from quito back to guayaquil at the
end of my trip.

any wh all is well here, I feel like this vacation is really making sense
now... just
had to get out of the city!

Love yahs!

Erin